Classic Lemon Bars {Gluten Free}

These lemon bars get a healthy and allergy-friendly re-make; you can customize the amount of tartness and lemon flavor by adjusting the amount of lemon juice and lemon zest. If you really miss the yellow color (egg yolks give regular lemon bars their color), you can add a drop or two of natural yellow food coloring.

Here are the white chia seeds and palm shortening I used in this recipe:

You can use regular chia seeds or flaxseed meal if you wish, but the crust and filling will be darker in color.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line the bottom of an 8”x8” pan with a piece of parchment paper.

Mix together the dry ingredients of the crust together in a small bowl. Warm the honey and the palm shortening together in a dish in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds until warmed and liquid; stir in the vanilla. Using a fork, stir the honey mixture into the dry ingredients until well mixed and crumbly.

Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for about 5-10 minutes, or until set but not browned.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing together all of the filling ingredients in a bowl. Let the mixture sit a couple of minutes to let the chia meal and the xanthan gum thicken the filling.

Pour the filling over the crust and bake for about 10 minutes until the filling is set. Let the bars cool before cutting. Enjoy!